Villanova University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Villanova University’s diversity initiatives strive for inclusive excellence at the institutional level. Inclusive excellence includes systemic actions that focus on fostering greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and accountability at all levels of university life. Most importantly, the diversity efforts must be integrated into the core aspects of the university, including academic priorities, leadership, decision-making, day-to-day operations, and the overall organizational culture.

At Villanova, we strive to create an inclusive community that fosters an understanding and appreciation for diversity among our students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Villanova University is an equal opportunity employer and educational institution.
There shall be no discrimination against any employee, applicant for employment
or any student on any basis prohibited by law, including race, color, national
origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or disability.
This non-discrimination policy applies to all educational policies and programs
and to all terms and conditions of employment, which include (but are not
limited to): recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, benefits, promotions, disciplinary
actions and termination. See also Equal Opportunity Policy above.
The full text of the policy can be found at:
https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/hr/policies/university/discrimination_
harassment.html

Human Resources has a policy for campus community members who have discrimination concerns. All allegations of discrimination or harassment are submitted confidentially to the Complaint Officer (Associate Vice President of HR). A member of the Bias Response Team will respond to all submitted bias reports. Depending on the severity of the discrimination, an informal resolution may be used to resolve the complaint. This includes counseling, support and advice for the victim.
Reports are filed through this site: https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/provost/diversity/report_bias.html

http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/provost/casa/summer.html
Academic Advancement Program (AAP) Pre College Program
The AAP Pre-College Program is a five-week residential summer bridge program for accepted AAP students that focuses on:

English
Science
Academic Skills/Instruction
Mathematics
Enrichment Workshops
College Reading and Writing Workshops
The AAP Pre-College Program kicks off with the Orientation Weekend, which welcomes accepted AAP students and their families to a fun-filled and informative weekend that introduces students to Villanova and the AAP Program.


Presidential Scholars Program Summer Academy
To support and cultivate the limitless academic and leadership potential in each Presidential Scholar, the Presidential Scholars Program (PSP) has developed the PSP Summer Academy. This program is an eight-day intensive Summer Academy for incoming Presidential Scholars to foster an intellectual community that celebrates diverse ideas through a program that develops critical thinking, dialogue and strong writing skills. read more

St. Thomas Of Villanova Scholars (STOVS)
STOVS is a residential pre-college bridge program for incoming first-year students that provides selected students the opportunity to jumpstart their college career through coursework, workshops and cultural experiences.

http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/provost/casa/outreach.html
Academy at Palumbo High School Partnership Program
The Academy of Palumbo - Villanova College Immersion Program connects communities and supports Palumbo students in their college application processes. Contact Nicholas Manai for more information. read more

College Day Visit
CASA partners with University Admissions and K-12 schools to bring awareness and exposure to higher education. The process of getting a college degree involves many steps. The CASA hosts College Days for groups of 20 or more where students can experience a day in the life of a college student on a college campus. Contact Charisma Presley for more information. read more

REACH
REACH is a student organization that offers tutoring and mentoring to high school students from under-resourced areas of Philadelphia. Contact mculturalprogram@gmail.com for more information. read more

The VESTED Program
The VESTED Academy is an intensive eight weekend long introduction to engineering experience for high school students entering grades 9th-12th. Contact Linda Coleman for more information. read more

Villanova Initiative for Engaging Women (VIEW)
VIEW is a 3-year, 10-month enrichment program that offers workshops on the following: SAT Prep, leadership and professional & personal development. In addition, students participate in a two week, summer residential program on Villanova’s campus. Contact Nicole Davis for more information. read more

Employees:

Hiring for Villanova’s Future:
Hiring more diverse staff and faculty is an essential strategic goal for Villanova. This dynamic, comprehensive training includes 3 online modules, which take about 1.5 hours to complete in total, and a 3.5 hour live session. After completing this training, hiring managers and academic search committees will learn how to conduct an inclusive and legally sound hiring process, with an emphasis on creating new pathways to successfully recruiting historically underrepresented talent.

Webpage to support inclusive searches from VISIBLE (Villanova’s Initiative to Support Inclusiveness and Build Leaders). This page also includes a link to their inclusive hiring program, “What to Do About Hiring During a Hiring Freeze”.
https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/provost/nsfadvance/promising-practices-for-hiring.html
In the College of Arts and Sciences (CLAS), see the recruitment goals in their college Anti-Racism Initiative here (page 3, item 6). CLAS has an Associate Dean for DEI who manages this effort and supports/guides faculty searches in the college.
https://www1.villanova.edu/dam/villanova/artsci/main_artsci/external_com/CLAS-Anti-Racism-Initiative-6-29-2020.pdf

The Center for Multicultural Affairs offers a number of programs to help all students receive an inclusive educational experience founded on Augustinian Principles. Programs the Center offers includes:

A.C.T.I.V.E. stands for Advising, Counseling, Tutoring, Information to enhance the Villanova Experience. Targeting students with a “cultural” population or NOS (Not otherwise stated), but any Villanova student is welcome to join. This program provides academic tutoring, counseling and course advising for students who are overwhelmed by all the college offers. ACTIVE is for the first two years of a students college career.

For third and fourth year students, ENACT helps them prepare for graduation and life after college. ENACT assists students with Internships, research assistantship, personal and professional development.

Project Red provides Freshman who request it, a upper class student mentor who have excelled academically and socially. This program helps first-year students adjust academically and socially, as well as help them develop leadership and accountability skills.

WISE Male Mentoring, or Working to be Informed, Studious and Engaged exists to provide resources, empowerment, and social skill development for Villanova males students. Through mentorship, workshops and other programs/events WISE hopes to help male students achieve academic success and become continual learners and professionals after graduating from Villanova.

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in partnership with HR, have formed and support Employee Resource Groups (ERG) Sometimes called affinity groups, ERGs, align with the University mission and goals of fostering a diverse and inclusive campus. ERG's are created to provide support, employee engagement, and personal enrichment. ERGs may focus on specific interest or social identity but are open to all Villanova employees. All ERGs are lead by a single person or committee. ERGs are a way to share knowledge and increase peer support. ERGs can be used to establish mentorship, professional development, and social engagement. It can bring a collective voice to create change on campus. Existing EGRs include: Golden Wildcats, Latinx, LGBTQ, Black/AFAM, Parenthood Collective and Veterans
Wildcats at Work (accountability group).

Villanova has a campus liaison for the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT). IRT helps students of color and other scholars committed to diversity, counsel them through the graduate school application process and advocate for sufficient funding for advanced studies. Our liaison helps to get Villanova students interested in the program so they can achieve their ambitions.

Additionally, the College of Engineering works diligently to increase the amount of women with the profession and the professoriate both within within the College and in general. It has achieve this through seeking out quality female candidates at professional conferences. Further, Villanova's College of Engineering has been granted three Professorships through the Clare Boothe Luce Program. Since its first grants in 1989 the Clare Boothe Luce Program (CBL) has become the single most significant source of private support for women in science, mathematics and engineering. Clare Boothe Luce, the widow of Henry R. Luce, was a playwright, journalist, U.S. Ambassador to Italy, and the first woman elected to Congress from Connecticut. In her bequest establishing this program, she sought “to encourage women to enter, study, graduate, and teach” in science, mathematics and engineering. Thus far, the program has supported more than 1900 women. The substantial professional development funds associated with each professorship provide flexibility and support rarely available to new faculty members.